Action Alert – 3 PA Legislators Seem Confused About the Bathroom

Ninety-seven State House Members Send Letter to Obama, But . . .3 Seem Confused

Details

In a letter dated May 17th ninety-seven Republican members of the Pennsylvania House sent a letter to President Obama expressing their outrage over his “Dear Colleague” bathroom edict. The letter says in part:

“The “Dear Colleague” letter is an unconstitutional intrusion by the federal government into an area that should be and is legally handled locally by school districts who best know their students and parents. At its core, the letter sacrifices the fundamental privacy rights associated with intimate bodily functions for millions of school students. Plainly, this directive will allow men to go into legally sex-separated bathrooms with young girls. ‘l’he parents of these young girls are rightly concerned about your policy and its implications for their daughters’ safety.

The fact that this directive mandates a change in already established law under Title IX with no regard for the legislative process is indefensible. It is the duty of Congress to address any changes in statutory law. The letter’s threat to federal funding for public schools which do not comply with this unsupported directive is a deliberate attempt to circumvent the Constitutional legislative process and flies in the face of the very idea of a Constitutional Republic as envisioned by this country’s founders. Art. I. § I of the United States Constitution (“All legislative Powers.. shall be vested in a Congress of the United States.”).

We urge the President to direct that the “Dear Colleague” letter be rescinded immediately.”

The letter also highlights the unsuccessful attempt by a student who identifies as transgender to force the University of Pittsburgh to open all its women’s facilities to him. In the case, Johnson v. Univ. of Pittsburgh Com. Sys. of Higher Education, the court found that Title IX clearly permitted schools to provide students with certain sex-segregated spaces such as bathroom and locker room facilities consistent with the individual’s birth sex. The case was appealed, but dismissed by the Third Circuit.

While the AFA of PA commends the 97 lawmakers (read our news release here ), three of them seem to be confused. Why? Because they are co-sponsors of HB 1510 which would open all the bathrooms and locker/shower rooms to men who think they are women! This bill, like SB 974, would add “sexual orientation and gender identity or expression” to the PA Human Relations Act impacting employment, housing and public accommodations. All businesses would be forced to open the women’s bathroom doors to men who think they are women and vice versa. The local pool or Y in your city would be forced to allow these same individuals to use the women’s locker and shower facilities!

Action Steps

Only twelve Republicans have signed on as co-sponsors of HB 1510. Who are the three who both co-sponsored this dangerous bill AND signed the letter to President Obama?

Why not give them a quick call and send them an email and ask how they can sign this letter to President Obama asking him to rescind his school bathroom edict, but co-sponsor a bill that opens every bathroom and locker/shower facility in Pennsylvania to the opposite sex?